News & Events

Every year the SCA runs a Small Grants Programme, funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which allows us to support exciting conservation initiatives that help secure a future for this wonderful species. Last year we funded Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar's essential research into the population size and factors impacting distribution in Western Mongolia.

Every year the SCA runs a Small Grants Programme, funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which allows us to support exciting conservation initiatives that help ensure the future of this wonderful species. Last year we funded research into the possibility of using high resolution satellite imagery to track and monitor saigas.

In 2014, as part of his Masters course at Imperial College London, Forrest Hogg travelled to Kalmykia, Russia to carry out research into the difficult subject of the illegal hunting and consumption of saigas.

In 2014, as part of their Masters courses at Imperial College London, Katie Mabbutt and Sophie Elliott travelled to Kazakhstan to carry out research into topics critical to the conservation of the saiga antelope.

The students were lucky enough to be able to take part in various Saiga Day festivities, speak with local adults and children, and to research the impact our work is having in these remote regions. Their results were very encouraging and each made insightful recommendations for future saiga conservation programmes.

SCA’s latest initiative to involve teenagers in the conservation of their environment and in particular the saiga antelope is really taking off. A network of ‘Steppe Wildlife clubs’ has been rolled out across Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan. Aimed at teenagers, who are the next generation of conservationists (or poachers) the clubs open a door to a fascinating world of wildlife, engaging teenagers in their local environment and how they can become actively involved in safeguarding it.

Following the results of the 2014 spring aerial survey of saiga antelope numbers in Kazakhstan it has been possible to assess the success of conservation measures taken by dedicated conservationists and local people to protect them.

Fabulous gifts and cards are available from the saigacraft.org website.

The women who take part in our alternative livelihood project in Uzbekistan have produced some beautiful and unique traditional embroidered bags, a variety of colourful designs and styles of bags can be ordered at www.saigacraft.org in time for you to receive them before for the holidays.

We are very excited to announce the winners of our new Saiga Conservation Alliance Award for Excellence in Saiga Protection, in memory of SCA donor and friend Joy Covey.
The 2014 award is supported by the Wildlife Conservation Network and Joy’s family, to whom we are especially grateful.

The aim of the award, which we hope to make annual, is to support the next generation of saiga leaders, recognise their contributions to saiga conservation, and bring them together to build a network across the whole saiga range so that they can share experiences and inspire others.

This spring, a completely new approach to Saiga conservation was trialled in Uzbekistan. British wildlife artist Rory McCann travelled to Karakalpakstan, in Uzbekistan, to paint a mural depicting the wildlife of the steppe habitat. Uzbek student Olga Esipova assisted Rory with communications and painting.

The idea was to improve attitudes towards the conservation of the Saiga through the creation of a terrific mural painting with the participation of local children. The mural was painted in one of regional schools, and lots of local students were involved. This project was made possible by the generous support of the Coins for change programme, Disney Canada – which funds vital conservation work all over the world.

Konstantin Savitsky is 48 years old, he used to poach the critically endangered saiga antelope, but now works with the Saiga Conservation Alliance to help protect them. We spoke to Konstantin to understand why he became a poacher and what happened to change his mind and help him decide to work with us.

The next few months will be a busy time for SCA members in the field, as thanks to our donors as we have a multitude of activities lined up. We are very excited about welcoming Rory McCann; conservationist and artist, to rural Uzbekistan where he will be involving local children in painting a mural in the centre of their town. The mural has been conceived by the children and centres around the theme ‘Our wildlife, our home’.

When a barbed wire border fence was erected between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and a new railway began to be laid it looked like the end of the line for the saiga’s essential migrations. Two years down the line what has the SCA’s research yielded, and has our work to support government to make changes paid off?

Since 2008 the Centre for Wild Animals in Kalmykia, Russia, has worked with local farmers to monitor changes in the numbers of saiga. This project not only aims to provide valuable information on changes to the Pre-Caspian saiga population, but also by engaging local farmers in saiga conservation and providing them with an alternative income source, aims to promote positive attitudes towards saiga and reduce levels of poaching.

The Saiga Conservation Alliance is pleased to announce a new award for Young Conservation Leaders based in China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and Uzbekistan.

The SCA recognises that it is imperative to support the next generation of conservationists, and so with our Young Conservation Leaders award we will be able to support five aspiring conservationists with grants of $1000 each.

In early October the SCA’s very own Elena Bykova took to the stage alongside renowned conservationists such as primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall from the Jane Goodall Institute and Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton from Save the Elephants, to tell a packed auditorium about the plight of the saiga.

In November the SCA held the first ‘Day of Migratory Species’ celebrations in Uzbekistan. A joint effort between the SCA and the new Steppe Wildlife Clubs. With games such as ‘What? Where? When?’ the children learnt about species such as Saigas Mountain Gorillas, African Elephants, Sharks, Whales, Green turtles and more, in a fun way, with many surprised to learn that butterflies and bats could migrate across national borders.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience vast herds of saiga coming together to calve? Well from next Spring you could visit the stunning Kazakh steppe to see this phenomenon up close, to take photos of the critically endangered new-born calves, or perhaps to even take part in the collection of scientific data with our experts.

Mongolia has recognised the tireless dedication and conservation work of Dr. Jungius’ and has awarded him the medal of “Friendship” for his contribution to the protection of the environment and wildlife of Mongolia. We would like to add our thanks to Dr. Jungius for all his work to raise awareness of the plight of saigas and to battle for their protection in the region.

In November the Saiga breeding center ‘Yashkulskiy’, in the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia, hosted the winners of a nationwide competition for children. The competition, which was entitled ‘Steppe antelope’, received more than 200 entries in four different categories: Drawing, handicrafts, poem and the ‘sorry’ category.

We are very pleased to announce the launch of the Saiga Resource Centre (SRC) website. The SRC will help to track progress towards fulfilment of the CMS MoU on saiga conservation and acts as a portal for those interested in saiga conservation.

Check out this video from Disney's Club Penguin. They've very kindly been supporting our projects with local school children in Uzbekistan for a number of years and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Programmes such as Earth Day are enormously beneficial to our work and we are extremely grateful to Disney and all the kids at Club Penguin.

SCA founding member and Executive Secretary Elena Bykova has very kindly been included in a new book profiling the efforts of some of the world's leading conservationists for her work with saigas in Uzbekistan.

The SCA and the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan are working together to develop a comprehensive online database of all projects which address the conservation and sustainable use of the saiga antelope.

The SCA's Executive Secretary Elena Bykova received a prestigious Whitley Award, sponsored by the Scottish Friends of the WFN, for her work engaging local communities in saiga conservation. This short, David Attenborough-narrated video draws attention to this work, and features footage of the beautiful and enigmatic, yet Critically Endangered, saiga antelope in action.

Representatives of wildlife management authorities in Kazakhstan and experts came together 17-18 February in central Kazakhstan to discuss the implementation of the CMS Memoranda of Understanding on the Saiga Antelope (Saiga spp.) and the Bukhara Deer (Cervus elaphus bactrianus).

Author guidelines for Saiga News: the biennial newsletter of the Saiga Conservation Alliance. We provide information about recent developments in saiga conservation and ecology to a broad readership with an interest in saiga conservation.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare report expert findings of a critical decline in the Kalmykian saiga population. Saiga numbers reportedly dropped from 14-15 thousand individuals to 8-9 thousand in the North-West Caspian region in the past year.

The SCA is launching an emergency appeal to help save the saiga population in pre-Caspian Russia, which is now under severe threat of extinction after a particularly harsh winter and renewed heavy poaching. Your help is needed urgently to strengthen anti-poaching capacity and raise local awareness.

Dear friends, the 10th issue of Saiga News (Winter 2009/10) is now available to download in English and Russian, packed full of updates on research, conservation and reporting on Saiga antelope across the entire range. Download your copy now.

In collaboration with the Rostov-based tour company Saga Tours, and with the Saiga Conservation Alliance, the UK-based company Eastern Approaches is offering a new cultural tour of the saiga range area in southern Russia, to run in August 2010.

Dear SCA supporters. We take pleasure to lauch the much awaited 9th issue of saiga news, Full of recent updates on research, conservation and reporting on Saiga antelope across the entire range. Download your copy now.

Alexander Esipov (Sasha), an active SCA steering committee member from Uzbekistan has won the prestigious Freeman Award for his commitment and contributions to conserving snow leopards in the wild. He has carried out nearly 3 decades of field work primarily in the study of mammals of Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states. Sasha is also on the steering committee of the Snow leopard Network. We congratulate Sasha on behalf of the whole Saiga and Conservation community.

The saiga antelope is one of the world's strangest-looking mammals. Its bulbous, tubular nose filters out dust and warms cold air before it reaches the animal's windpipe. On Radio Free Europe - Radio Liberty - By Antoine Blua

Starting in the January 2009 issue of Saiga News, each issue we will profile one of our existing institutional members. This month it is the turn of CIC Wildlife - The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation.

The SCA have teamed up with our institutional member Spitalfields City Farm to offer saiga adoptions this Christmas! The money raised will go towards the Centre for Wild Animals in Kalmykia, one of the few successful saiga breeding centres in the world.

In June, SCA founder member Dr. Aline Kuhl was delighted to be invited by the ICCS to speak to members of the US Congress about saiga conservation. We're pleased to announce that her talk is now available to view on YouTube! Thanks to our institutional member CIC Wildlife for introducing us to the ICCS.

An article in the Independent newspaper published on 31 January has higlighted saiga antelopes as one of the world's rare-but-ugly species that need greater attention from conservationists, the public and media alike.

"BAG Eurasia of NABU" (the working group of the German Society for Nature Conservation (NABU) dealing with conservation projects in Europe and Asia), has just become the latest institutional member of the SCA. Additionally, BAG Eurasia has just announced that they will support the translation and adaptation of the SCA's environmental education materials for schoolchildren with a grant of €1,600.

With the support of the Wildlife Conservation Network, the Saiga Conservation Alliance has initiated a small grants competition. The first round was held in September 2007, and four projects were chosen for support by the Steering Committee